1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to snow melting devices and more particularly pertains to a new snow melting attachment for a snow blower for preventing the building up of large snow piles.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of snow melting devices is known in the prior art. More specifically, snow melting devices heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 4,409,957; U.S. Pat. No. 5,867,926; U.S. Pat. No. 3,174,477; U.S. Pat. No. 2,820,450; U.S. Pat. No. 5,588,231; and U.S. Des. Pat. No. 270,057.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new snow melting attachment for a snow blower. The inventive device includes a housing having a bottom wall and a peripheral wall extending upwardly from the bottom wall. The peripheral wall has an upper edge defining an opening extending into the housing. The housing is mountable on a snow blower. A drainage pipe is fluidly coupled to the housing and is positioned generally adjacent to the bottom wall. A valve is in communication with the drainage pipe for selectively opening and closing the drainage pipe. A plurality of plates is mounted in the housing. Each of the plates has an upper side and a lower side with respect to the bottom wall of the housing. A plurality of heating elements is mounted in the housing. Each of the heating elements is positioned adjacent to one of the lower sides of the plates such that a plurality of heating elements is adjacent to each of the plates. The heating elements are each operationally coupled to a power supply.
In these respects, the snow melting attachment for a snow blower according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of preventing the building up of large snow piles.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of snow melting devices now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new snow melting attachment for a snow blower construction wherein the same can be utilized for preventing the building up of large snow piles.
The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new snow melting attachment for a snow blower apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the snow melting devices mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new snow melting attachment for a snow blower which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art snow melting devices, either alone or in any combination thereof.
To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a housing having a bottom wall and a peripheral wall extending upwardly from the bottom wall. The peripheral wall has an upper edge defining an opening extending into the housing. The housing is mountable on a snow blower. A drainage pipe is fluidly coupled to the housing and is positioned generally adjacent to the bottom wall. A valve is in communication with the drainage pipe for selectively opening and closing the drainage pipe. A plurality of plates is mounted in the housing. Each of the plates has an upper side and a lower side with respect to the bottom wall of the housing. A plurality of heating elements is mounted in the housing. Each of the heating elements is positioned adjacent to one of the lower sides of the plates such that a plurality of heating elements is adjacent to each of the plates. The heating elements are each operationally coupled to a power supply.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new snow melting attachment for a snow blower apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the snow melting devices mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new snow melting attachment for a snow blower which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art snow melting devices, either alone or in any combination thereof.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new snow melting attachment for a snow blower which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new snow melting attachment for a snow blower which is of a durable and reliable construction.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new snow melting attachment for a snow blower which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such snow melting attachment for a snow blower economically available to the buying public.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new snow melting attachment for a snow blower which provides in the apparatuses and methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated therewith.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new snow melting attachment for a snow blower for preventing the building up of large snow piles.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new snow melting attachment for a snow blower which includes a housing having a bottom wall and a peripheral wall extending upwardly from the bottom wall. The peripheral wall has an upper edge defining an opening extending into the housing. The housing is mountable on a snow blower. A drainage pipe is fluidly coupled to the housing and is positioned generally adjacent to the bottom wall. A valve is in communication with the drainage pipe for selectively opening and closing the drainage pipe. A plurality of plates is mounted in the housing. Each of the plates has an upper side and a lower side with respect to the bottom wall of the housing. A plurality of heating elements is mounted in the housing. Each of the heating elements is positioned adjacent to one of the lower sides of the plates such that a plurality of heating elements is adjacent to each of the plates. The heating elements are each operationally coupled to a power supply.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new snow melting attachment for a snow blower that may be retrofitted to existing snow blowers.
Even still another object of the present invention is to provide a new snow melting attachment for a snow blower that allows a user to melt snow instead of creating large snow piles which can cause winter kill to grass and which block viewing.
These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.